Puskas contender stuns old side in all-time A-League thumping

Melbourne City midfielder Terry Antonis has scored one the greatest goals in A-League Men history on Tuesday night as his team destroyed Western Sydney by a record-equalling 7-0 at AAMI Park.

In the 82nd minute, Antonis spotted Wanderers goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas off his line, unloaded from the centre circle and fired it into the back of the net from 50 yards out, sparking wild celebrations and prompting Antonis to make a “call me” phone call gesture to Western Sydney boss Marko Rudan who used to coach him.

The result was Western Sydney’s biggest ever defeat and it was also the equal biggest margin in competition history. Naturally, it was also Melbourne’s equal biggest win, equalling their 8-1 demolition of Brisbane in December and their 7-0 romp over Victory in 2020-21.

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On a night when speculation surrounding City legend Jamie Maclaren’s future intensified, his team made it even harder for him to return to the starting line-up.

For the first time in more than seven years, the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer started on the bench in consecutive A-League matches. It was the strongest indication yet that he might be headed for the AAMI Park exit door at season’s end, and possibly to incoming club Auckland for 2024-25.

While he was sitting on the pine, City ran riot without him, banging home four goals in 12 minutes in the first half, including a two-minute Tolgay Arslan brace, to embarrass a hopelessly disorganised Wanderers defence and seal the result before the break.

Maclaren came on in the 65th minute, and it took him 12 minutes to break his 10-game scoring drought. He replaced his